Combined thread-binder and thread-severing device for knitting-machines.



I. LAWSON.

COMBINED THREAD BINDER'AND THREAD SEVERIIIG DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

mew-ea Feb. 11, 1919.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-1912 UNLSFED snares PATENT onnrcn JOHN LAWSON, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 HEMPHILL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. it, llfillg Application filed February 2, 1912. Serial Ho. 674,893.

,7 To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Lawson, a citi- Zen of the United Statsaresiding at Central Falls, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Thread-Binder and Thread-Severing Devices for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In a co-pending application for patent (Serial No. 604,550) for improvement in thread-severing device for automatic knitting-machines, filed by me in the U. S. Patent Office, the device forming the sub ject of that application is combined or associated with thread-binding; means for holding the severed ends of the temporarily inactive or floating threads; the movements of the thread-binding device being efiected and controlled by one or more of the threadguides or feeders. As formerly con-- structed, the additional work involved in thus actuating the binder device through the medium of the thread-guides prevented the latter from moving normally at times; in some instances, too, the resistance or downward pressure of the binder itself upon the thread-guide was suiiicient to swing the latch-rin havin the binder device secured thereto, bodily upward a short distance, thereby causing abnormal action.

The object of the present lnvention is to produce in a knitting-machine combinedthread-binding and thread-severing mechanism in which the above named objections or disadvantages are wholly overcome, thereby rendering the device more simple, efficient and reliable. By means of the present invention, the same, when mounted and in normal action, is capable of having positive opening and closing movements imparted to the thread-severing and threadbinding elements; the thread-binder at the same time being further adapted for independent opening and closing movements when the threadsevering members are in the normally closed position.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents an end elevation, in par tial section, and viewed from the left oi Fig. '2, of portions of an automatic knittingmachine embodying my present invention, the threadcutting and thread-binding mechanisms being normally closed; Fig. 2 is a corresponding front side elevation, in partial section; F ig. 3 is a side elevation, in enlarged scale, showing the thread-cutting device in the normally closed position, HI- responding with Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a similar side view showing the cutting jaws in the open position; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 55 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is an inverted plan View, corresponding with Fig. 4.

In my present improved thread-cutting device proper, the latter and also its actuating mechanism are in some respects simi lar'to the corresponding parts represented in my co-pending application before referred to. The rotary needle-cylinder N, together with cooperating parts, of a circular knit ting-machine are mounted on a table of the frame or housing a. To the rear of the cylinder is positioned a vertical post 0 having a latch-ring 0 hinged thereto, substantially as usual. To an arm 0 of the latchring is secured a bent bracket member I) having its opposite or inner end terminating in a normally horizontal notched fiat guideplate If. The latter is disposed centrally within the usual needle-row n, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, and just above the stitch-ring 7c of the cylinder; the plates outer edge 6 lies contiguous to the back of the needlessee Fig. 6.

The movable shearing or thread-cutting blade on is pivoted at n to the vertical edge of the said bracket 6 and arranged to cooperate with the relatively stationary companion shear-plate m secured to the bracket. A thin, flat plate 10 or auxiliary means for engaging the threads is fixed to the blade m nd extends inwardly therefrom so as to near against the underside of the relatively stationary base'plate b when the movable thread-severing blade m is normally closedsec Fig. 3.

The means represented for actuating the severing device and controlling its movements consist of a revoluble canrdisk 2' having suitably located, peripherally spaced lugs 77-, a tlltingly mounted lever g havino its front end engaging the outer rim of dis '21 and having its rear end jointed to a vertical rod y' in turn jointed to an end of a short, tiltingl mounted lever the latters' other end being jointed to the vertically guided connectinga'od or link the upper end oi this link is slidably jointed to the slotted rear portion of the main actuating arm or lever h, pivoted at 7:5 to the said bracket 5, the other or front end of lever it being suitably connected to said cuttingblade m whereby the angular movements imparted to lever 71, by the disk 2 and said intervening members causes the cutter to swing or vibrate on its pivot W, as in openingr and closing the thread-severing means.

The actual threadscvering members, m, an, remain in the normal lyclosed positionsee Figs. 1 and 3, during the entire knitting ot the stocking, except at the several points or places where the device is quickly actuated autoimitically to sever the threads, as for instance, when a thread to be made temporarily idle and another thread introduced into knitting action.

It may be stated that the drawings repre" sent portions of a stocking-knitting machine of a type having a cam-shaft s on which are mounted cams, etc., whose angular movements are effected in an intermittent manner through the mediiun oi. a pattern-chain and cooperating means (not shown) in a well-known way. The said shaft and its members are arranged to make only one complete revolution during the production of each tubular stocking or tubular unit.

Thus it will be obvious that whenever a .111 71 of the movable cam disk 5 en 'a es lever g, the latter is thereby quickly oscil lated and causes cutter m to swing from the normally closed position, shown in Fig. 3, to the full open position, shown in Fig. 4. At the instant the said camshaft in its movement carries the lug past the lever g, the. latter, by means of spring 8 connected to it, is caused to drop and bear against the disks rim, the result being to automatically close the swinging cutter, thereby at the same time shearing or severing the thread lying between the cutters and web, and also causing the platc pto hold in position the other end of the thread, the latter extendfrom the supply bobbin.

In Fig. 2 d" indicates a yarn-guide in the dropped position, corresponding tonormal knitting, and Fig. 5, shows the guide elevoted, as when the thread. is inactive. The tilt-able lever g is pivoted at a? to the main frame, substantially as indicated in Fig. 1. The arrow 2 (Fig. 4) indicates the direction of movement of the link 9, etc., to close the cutting-jaws.

' The said thread-severing device and its operating mechanism are associated or com bined with a main binding device adapted for holding the ends of the ten'ip'orarily inactive lmitting-threads. This binding device consists essentially of a horizontal bent U-shaped rod, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, having one member or arm, 63, acent the said cutters mounted to' swing in bearings disposed on the upper face of the said plate 6 The other arm (Z when the device is depressed, is adapted to yicldingly bear against the plates upper surface for binding or holding therebet-wcen the severed end portion of the live thread. To the rear end of arm (Z is adjustably secured a short swinging crank 01' lever c, its free end tending transversely of bracket 7; and disposed horizontally between said members ii. and m and below the member 71-. A spring 6 connects the members It and e, as clearly shown. in order to maintain fixed mini mum vertical distance between the levers c and IL, and also to provide means for actuating the binder simultaneously or in unison with the angular movements of the lever h, avertical space member f is secured to or integral with the'latter, its lower end hearing against the lever Thus, it is obvious that a downward movement of the inner or unslotted portion of lever it acts to forcibly separate or open the threadse-vering mem-' bers, opens the auxiliary thrcad-supporting member 79, and at the same time acts to swing upward the main binding member al to release the end of the supply thread. While the devices are thus temporarilyopen, the immediately preceding thread last moved out of knitting action, extends from its ten'iporarily elevated threadguide a? to and under the arm (Z into the open notch o of plate 3), and is superimposed on the aux-- iliary plate 77 and cutter m Figs. 4- and 5 represent the correspondingopen position and relation the devices. At substantially the same instant thatthe platep swings upward and positions the thread, the cutters sever it, and the bi nder arm d yieldingly engages the thread, thereby clamping the thread against the face of the plate 6 Ubviously the binder element may be 11131111" ally actuated at will by simply overcoming the tension of thesaid spring 0 I The tension of the connecting-spring e, in cooperation with the space member f interposed between the levers e and h, causes the thread-cutting and thread-holding or binding devices to positively close when the inner arm of lever IL is moved upward; When the said parts are in the thus norinally closed position the spring-pressed thread-binding or clamping element itself is capable of being swung open by hand to release the thread independently of the said actuating mechanism, the connecting spring e rendering the device self-closing, as be fore stated.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic knitting-machine having a revoluble cylinder provided with needles and sinkers, and cooperable means for knitting a fabric, the combination therewith of a pair of shearing blades for severing the thread, one of'said blades being movable relatively to the other, a pivoted operating arm having said movable blade joint-connected therewith, said arm having an arc-shaped slot formed in its outer end portion, a thread-binder or clamping device disposed contiguous to said thread-severing device arranged for holding a plurality of temporarily inactive threads and'actuated by said arm, means engageable with said arc-shaped slot for actuating the arm in an intermittent manner, and having said binding device arranged to yieldingly clamp the thread immediately preceding its severance by the shearing device.

2. In an automatic knitting-machine of the general character described, the combi nation with a revoluble needle-cylinder provided with needles and sinkers, and means cooperating therewith for knitting a web, of movable guides for feeding the knitting threads to the needles, means for severing the thread or threads, means for holding one or more of the temporarily inactive knitting threads in a stationary position, said thread severing and holding devices being positioned contiguous to each other and normally located Within the needle row of the cylinder, a swinging arm having an arcuate slot therein, both the thread-severing and thread-clamping or holding devices being operatively connected to said swinging arm, the latter arranged to cause substantially simultaneous opening of the said thread cutting and clamping devices, means connecting said arm with a member of said clamping device whereby the latter in closing is adapted to yieldingly engage the tiread thereunder, and means for oscillating said arm, said last-named means including a rod jointed to the slotted end of the arm and capable of movement in its slot.

3. In an automatic knitting-machine of the general character described, having a rcvolublc knitting cylinder provided With needles and sinkers and the usual accessories for knitting, the combination of a swinging latch-guard having a substantially fiat plate member normally positioned Within the row of needles and movable with the latchguard, a revoluble main cam-shaft, threadsevering and thread-clamp1ng devices carried by the latch-guard encircled by the needles, a swinging main lever also carried by the latch guard and actuated from the cam-shaft for closing and opening said thread-severing and thread-clamiping devices, and means yicldingly connecting said main lever and tln'eaibclamping device,

whereby the latter, when normally closed, is capable of being manipulated independently to open the clamp.

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination with a main operating lever pivot-ally mounted on and carried by an element of a latch-guard, and means for swinging the lever on its pivot, of independently swinging thread-severing and thread-clamping devices actuated and controlled by the movements of said lever, saidclamping device arranged, when normally closed, to yield ingly engage the thread, means interposed between the main operating-lever and a member of the clamping device for controlling the angular movement of the latter, and self-closing means connected with the clamping member whereby it may be manually opened at will while the clamping member is in the normally closed position. I

5. In an automatic knitting-machine, the combination with a needle-carrying annular cylinder, and a movable latch-guard mounted thereabove, of a horizontally disposed supporting base or plate fixed to and adapted to move bodily with the latch-guard and normally positioned within the needle-row, a thread -severing device secured to said plate, a device having a member thereof mounted for oscillation so as to temporarily position and support the thread so as to be acted upon by the cutters, a thread-binding device mounted on said plate, means for actuating the thread-severing device, means connected with the latter for causing its movements to actuate the thread-binding. device, and having the latter further adapted to be opened and closed independently at will while the thread-severing device is normally closed.

6. A knitting machine having in combination a latch-ring, a supporting member secured to said latch-ring, a thread'severing member and a thread-clamping member independently mounted on said supporting member, an operating lever, and connections from said operating lever to both said thread-severing member and said threadclamping member for actuating the same.

7 A knitting machine having in combination a latch-ring, a supporting member secured to said latch-ring, a thread severing member and a thread-clamping member independently mounted on said supporting member, an operative lever mounted on said supporting member, and connections from 7.

said operating lever to both said threadsevering member and said thread-clamping member for actuating the same.

8. A knitting machine having in combination a latch-ring, a supporting member secured to said latch-ring, a thread-severing member and a thread-clamping member independently mounted on said supporting member, an operating lever mounted on. said supporting member connections from said operating lever to both. said thread-severing member and said thread-e1amping member, a cam-shaft and connections from said cemshaft to said operating lever.

9a A knitting machine. having in combination a -latch-ring, a supporting member socured to said latch-ring, a thread-severing member and 21. thread-clamping member 10 mounted on said supporting member. an operating lever adapted to actuate said threadsevering and said thread-clamping members, a cam-shaft, and means carried thereby for operating said lever.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my 15 signature in presence of two Witnesses.

J UHN LAWSON. Witnesses Geo. H. REMINGTON, (Tun/IN I'I. BROWN. 

